Killer
by Strawberry-Ringo
Summary: AU, NOT yaoi, character death, etc...Ichigo goes off to hunt for the person who killed his wife Rukia, only it's not who he expected.


_This is based off of a drabble my boyfriend wrote on livejournal. I took what little he had and wrote on to it in a way that I liked. I know it should be under IchiRuki, but since it's mainly focused on Ichigo and this evil shadow I didn't want to take away from that and it's not romance so no. lol_

_Here's the link to the drabble if you wish to read it first: http:/ / tw1stdprophet . livejournal . com/1220 . html/ (take out the spaces!)_

_Well enjoy~!_

* * *

Blood it was everywhere. I glanced around the dimly lit room that I had awoke in and gawked at the scene. The smell was incredibly strong and I'm surprised that I didn't throw up as it over powered me. I gasped in horror. There…lying in the corner of the room was my wife. She had cuts and bruises dotting her flesh, and in some areas her flesh was completely gone allowing anybody who caught sight of her to see what lies beneath her once warm, soft, and pale skin. Next to her, a bloodied knife and gun rested so innocently side-by-side like they were placed there before whatever terrors had occurred.

My own body hurt in random places but I ignored it. I slowly crawled from my spot by the opposite wall, making my way toward her corpse. The urge to throw up was getting stronger the closer I got to her small form, it was only made worse when I saw a maggot inch its way under her skin; devouring a path in front of it.

Covering my mouth with a hand, I focused my gaze unto the burning candle over us until my nausea dissipated. Then I lowered my eyes back to her and stared at her face. My hand that was once over my mouth reached out and I gently petted her hair; brushing that annoying strand out of her face and rubbing her cheek in a way that used to calm her.

My mouth opened and closed like a fish gasping for water and I leaned into her frame; my arms coming up to envelop her corpse in a gentle hug. The hug grew in strength when tears cascaded down my cheeks only to land on my shoulder. I don't know how long I stayed like this; only knowing that there was no warmth radiating from her, no heart beat pulsed in her chest, no scrawny arms pushing me away in a teasing manner as she hated to be squeezed, no fist colliding with my head since she hated seeing me acting 'weak', and lastly no murmurs of those three sweet words met my ears.

Pulling back a little I rested my forehead against hers, swallowed the lump in my throat, and willed the tears to go away. I stayed there for what seemed like a few hours and by this time my heart had hardened and I could no longer feel the pain; could no longer feel any emotion. I was in a state of total indifference with mild morbid curiosity. I once again stared at her face before I lifted my hand. Cocking my head to the side I watched her eyelid slowly open with the help of my fingers. Dull, live-less, purple eyes stared back at me and I stared back then closed the eyelid abruptly.

Picking up her hand, I examined her long slender fingers like a scientist with a new toy. I ran my fingers over her knuckles and clasped our fingers together. I put her hand down in favor of picking up the other one. This one held her wedding ring, a skinny gold band with a one karat diamond sitting atop it surrounded by very tiny amethyst gems. I kissed her palm then tenderly worked the ring off her finger. I placed the metal inside my pocket and saw movement out of the corner of my eye. My head whipped around in the direction of it and a shadow danced across the floor again as the candle flickered in the breezeless room. Moving slowly I get up off the floor and away from my beloved. Whoever killed her must still be here!

I bend down to pick up the gun and as my fingers graze the edge a laugh burst into the silence. Quickly grabbing the gun I turned around sharply and pulled the trigger; the laughter continued and nobody was behind me. Taking a shaky breath I petted and kissed the top of my dead wife's head before blowing out all the candles in the room and walking out the door, closing it behind me.

The laughter sounded again and I took off down the dark corridor in search of the owner. Candles created shadows everywhere and I had to stop myself from shooting everything that seemed to move after the third or fourth time of shooting nothing. I wasn't sure how many bullets were in this gun and didn't want to waste any more since I still had to avenge my wife's death. I came to an intersection and stopped dead. There! I saw a figure of a person and as soon as I took a step in their direction they took off at a full run. It took everything I had to keep up.

I ran down various other corridors chasing after that shadowy figure. His manic laughter echoed around me, sending shivers running down my spine. I'm not sure whether they were from fear or the excitement of the chase and I could care less at the moment. The only thing on my mind was catching him. By now I was beginning to think he lead me in a huge circle as the blood was smeared along the floor of this hallway too. Then he dashes into a room. I move to follow; my pistol held tightly in my grasp and I raise my arms out in front of me.

I kick the door open and glance around. This room was darker; the only light source was coming from the hallway. Suddenly I see him at the back of the room. His face was blurred and hard to see, but her blood stood out brightly on his pale, pasty skin and his torn clothes. In some areas it still looked fresh like it could run down his body any moment if he tilted a certain direction. I wasn't going to give him the chance to test it either.

"You fucking bastard! You killed her, you killed Rukia!" I screamed at him and pointed the gun at his head. He remained silent and that pissed me off. I was beginning to wish that he'd beg for his life and I could kill him in the same way he tortured my wife. I could hear a low growl rumbled from my throat and my hands began to shake with rage. I clutched the metal in my hands tighter and took aim using the guide on the gun.

Barring my teeth, I pulled back on the trigger and my growl faltered as I heard the sound of glass shatter. Was there a window I didn't know about? He must've tried to escape through it!

Groping the wall my hand ran across a light switch. I flicked it on and I gasped at what I saw. In front of me was a mirror with shattered glass lying around the bottom of it. That wasn't the part that bothered me though. Right as the light had been turning on I could have sworn I had seen a figure that was all white standing there smirking at me. Only now…now as I looked into the shattered mirror I could see a figure.

Right where the bullet hole pierced was my own forehead. My blood ran cold at the state of my own body. I was caked in dried and drying blood. My arms had bruises and scratch marks running up and down them. I walked up to the mirror and stood directly in front of it to get a better look at myself. The bruises looked like someone had had a strong grip on my arms as if trying to restrain me.

Flashes of memory from before I woke up near my dead wife filtered through my brain and I cried out, collapsing to the ground. I…I can't believe it. All this time and I didn't even notice, not once!

It was me all along…

* * *

_What's you think? Please tell me I'd love to hear your thoughts on it!_


End file.
